Las aguas de Dominica
by warohl
Summary: James wasn't sure how he was alive or how he ended up on the shores of an unfamiliar island. Maybe he got lucky. Or maybe someone was watching over him... Norrington/OC.
1. Prologue

**Okay, so I've had this plot idea floating around in my head for a while, and I decided it was about time I work on it and get it posted. I only have the first few chapters written right now, so updates may be a little slow (especially since my life can get a little busy), but I want to get this story completed. Wish me luck!**

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" _James Norrington… do you fear death?"_

…

With a heavy gasp, James shot up, coughing and gasping for air. His chest felt like it was on fire, his throat burning, his eyes stinging from the bright sunlight. He couldn't remember anything. What happened to him? How did he end up here? Or, better yet, where was here?

When he could finally see more than just white, James was looking out at the rich blue ocean. For many long moments, he watched the water serenely rolling up onto the sand as he tried to calm his breathing. He still tried to recall how he ended up on this beach, but the last thing he could remember—and this James realized with another gasp—was being stabbed through the chest on the Flying Dutchman. James looked down at his chest, pulling his shirt aside to look at the large pink scar. He was utterly confused—this looked as if it was tended to and nearly healed, but how? After stealing a look up and down the beach, James knew he was alone, so whoever took care of him had disappeared. Right now, he had a million questions and no way of getting any answers.

James wasn't sure how long he sat on the beach, but he knew it was a while; he just couldn't bring himself to get up and move. A part of him was afraid that he may hurt himself if he tried getting up, another part just needed time to think. There was a whirlwind of thoughts running through his head, but he felt, more than anything else, lost and numb. Looking back to those last few moments on the Flying Dutchman, he almost wished Bootstrap Bill had managed to kill him; he knew that he didn't have anything to live for anymore. If Elizabeth and those other pirates succeeded, then he had nothing to go back to in Port Royal. He would lose the title of Admiral (which he didn't even earn honorably), and it's not as if he had anyone to go back to. All he could think of was what he could possibly do now. Would he actually survive this island?

That's when James thought: was the island even inhabited? He finally decided that now was as good a time as ever to get up and explore, see what he was in for. So, slowly, James got on his feet. For a brief instant, he felt lightheaded and a little sick, causing him to stop and hold his head. Once he felt ready to move, James started taking small steps, the warm sand between his toes (which made him wonder where down the line he had lost his shoes) relaxing him some.

At first, James was certain he was here alone—he saw no signs of human life on the beach and he was hesitant to start journeying into the forest. And as he considered this, he wondered who would abandon someone they just saved.

After a bit of walking, James thought maybe he needed to figure out how he'd survive here. But he then noticed something down the beach that looked like a dock. With a renewed sense of hope, he walked a little faster to reach it. If there was a port here, it would help him considerably.

Eventually, the dock came in full sight. It was much smaller than the one at Port Royal, but there was evidence of activity nonetheless. Soon, the small town nearby came into view; this was also significantly smaller than Port Royal, but oddly enough that put James at ease. As he observed the structures, he took in how different it was from his former home. If anything, it reminded him of Tortuga's architecture (though that was still a part of his life he tried to ignore).

James found himself practically running for the busy streets.

Unknown to him, he had had some company keeping a close eye on him. From a cluster of rocks some distance off the shore, large hazel eyes had followed James' movements since before he awoke. They watched in interest and concern for the man as the individual had to practically forced themselves not to jump to his aid. And once James finally awoke, the eyes were full of excitement. For a long time, as James sat silently, the individual wondered; wondered the man's name, life, how he came to be practically dead aboard the Flying Dutchman. They wanted answers.

When James was back on his feet, the person stayed with him, swimming from rock to rock to keep eyes on him. As they swam, long, almost purple tinted locks floated behind, eyes never leaving James, worried for his injury. Once he was finally making his way into the town, the person relaxed—now, he'd be fine and wouldn't need them anymore. They glanced out at the endless ocean and sighed with some disappointment.

Finally, with a last glance back at James' disappearing form, they dove into the blue water.

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 **I always love hearing back, so let me know what you think! I know there's not much to go on right now, but I hope to see some interest, it'll motivate me to work harder on this story! So, if you have comments, questions, concerns, etc. please shoot them my way!**


	2. Chapter One

**Is it too soon to post another chapter? Maybe. But Maybe not.**

 **This chapter is, so far, longer than any others I've written, but there's a lot of story to tell. I'm trying not to publish too much too soon, because I have a tendency to get writer's block at the worst times, but I'm too excited not to post anything.**

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 _James turned around swiftly, having just shot the line between ships. And suddenly, there was a piercing pain scorching in his chest. He could hear Elizabeth shouting, but it sounded far off, distant._

 _James felt frozen and stiff as he fell down to his knees, eyes wide and breathe leaving him. This was it for him, he knew. This was how it would all end._

 _As his vision blurred, a figure stood in front of him, large and imposing. And yet, James felt no fear. How could he when he was already a dead man?_

 _"James Norrington…" the voice started, though it also sounded just as far off as Elizabeth's had, "do you fear death?"_

…

When James finally set foot in the middle of the small port village, the street was busy. People were trading and selling and socializing, but it was a quiet place nonetheless. The villages seemed to notice him immediately—everyone here was familiar with one another, so any outsider was recognizable off the bat. He also realized he stood out because he was, most likely, the only Englishman here. The people that looked back at him in confusion appeared to be Spanish. The strangers could tell James looked lost and confused (and they themselves were also confused by him), but they continued on with their business.

The town appeared to have only one large, main street, with much smaller ones branching off here and there. Many of the Spanish buildings lining the streets looked worn and rundown, in desperate need of some repairs. The people looked more well kept than their town, no one looking more rich or more poor than the next individual. Though this place wasn't much like Port Royal, something about it felt very homey to James, felt familiar and safe. If he had to wash up on any beach, he believed he was lucky to have arrived at this one.

After a moment of trying to collect himself, James finally decided to approach a small group of men, who all appeared as if they'd already been awake and working for hours that day. They were all surprised to see him approach and stand among them, this man tattered and torn by the sea. It had been some time since the port had last seen any foreigners, making everyone even more perplexed by his arrival. James looked at each man individually before taking in a steady breath.

"Excuse me," he started, trying to act more confident than he was, "I am in need of—"

"Nosotros no entendemos, muchacho." An older man replied, getting an amused look from the others and causing James to sigh; he was stupid to just assume they would understand him.

His Spanish was _definitely_ a little rusty, but at least he could try. It had been so long since he had been to a port without English speakers, he had very few opportunities to practice, "Mis disculpas… Mi español es débil." He apologized slowly, hoping he didn't end up sounding like an idiot.

The men watched him intently, though, so he assumed that was a good sign.

"¿De dónde vienes? ¿Cómo has llegado hasta aquí?" The same man asked how James managed to get to the island, a curious and puzzled glint in his eyes.

James felt frozen for a moment, trying to recall how he ended up here, but to no avail. He had absolutely no recollection of how he managed to get to the island, but he needed some kind of answer for the men, "No lo sé…"

"Usted no sabe?"

"Creo… lavé de un naufragio…" James really had no idea, but a shipwreck was at least a believable story he could play off of, something that these strangers would buy. By now, most of the other men had gone back to conversation, but the older gentleman continued to give James his attention, so he asked his next, more important question, "Tengo que llegar a casa, me pueden ayundar?"

"No." For a moment, James was in shock. He couldn't get help off the island? "Dominica no es un puerto grande."

So, they were on an island called Dominica. James was still unfamiliar with it, but at least that knowledge was a start.

The other man spoke slowly so that James could follow, "Sólo tenemos un barco, y en la actualidad que la tripulación se encuentre en el mar. No hay ninguna partida hasta que llegan u otro buque."

Of course, James was disappointed with the explanation—he couldn't leave, couldn't go anywhere, until Dominica's _one_ ship (or a foreign ship) returned to the port. The older man could see that James was upset; a part of this man felt sorry for the stranger, though he couldn't do much of anything to help. The man took a few moments to think, before letting out a sigh.

"Ven, te voy a presentar a alguien." The older man waved an arm as he began walking, insisting that James follow him. With a raised brow, James followed, "Carlos Acosta es responsable alrededor de aquí, tal vez pueda ayudar."

So, the two walked down the main street, continuing to grab the attention of locals every now and again, until they came to the end, where a large house sat up on a slight hill. The house James was looking up at wasn't exactly lavish, though one could tell it was well maintained and cared for. More so than virtually any other building on the island. James assumed this Carlos Acosta he was being taken to played a similar role to that of Governor Swann's back at Port Royal. Or so he hoped.

After they knocked on the front door, a young woman answered, giving a friendly smile to the man before looking at James curiously.

"Hola Maria. Está disponible el señor Acosta?" The older man asked her, receiving a nod. She let the pair in, telling them to wait a moment before she disappear through a set of doors to their left. A moment later, she returned, a tall, middle-aged man following behind her. He gave the other man a firm, familiar handshake before giving his attention to James, "Esta inglés dice que estaba en un naufragio y con necesidad de un poco de ayuda."

"Englishman?" Señor Acosta said in English as the older gentleman left through the front door. Mr. Acosta then led James into his office.

With a wave of relief, James answered, "Yes, sir. I'm a resident of Port Royal."

"I am unfamiliar with it." At that reply, James almost—oddly enough—felt thankful they didn't know of it, because then he could also hide the fact he was once a man of the British Royal Navy (which had ended up gaining a pretty foul reputation as of recent), "So, I am told you were in a shipwreck?"

"I believe I was; I actually can't recall. I woke up this morning on the beach with no idea how I ended up here."

Mr. Acosta looked thoughtful for a moment, looking James over once, "And what do you need from me, Señor…?" There was a pause.

"Norrington. James Norrington." He received a nod, "I would like to return back home, but the man who escorted me here tells me it's not possible."

"Yes…" Señor Acosta went to sit at his desk, "He explained why, I assume?"

"He says you only have one ship, that's currently out at sea."

The other nodded, "That's correct—we don't participate very much in trade, and we don't get many visitors to Dominica."

"So, then, it would seem I'll be here for some time?" James approached the desk, though he felt completely disgraceful with his barefeet and tattered clothes. He shouldn't have even been let into a home looking the way he did, especially not one as nice as this.

"Correct again." For a moment, the two were silent.

"Well…" James started, not quite sure how to form his question, "Is there anywhere I can board until the ship's return?"

Señor Acosta thought, 'hmm'ing slightly as he tried to figure something out for James, "There's a woman, Señora Rojas, who could potentially provide housing." James eyes brightened just so, "She could use some help taking care of her land—her son left on our ship a month ago, and she's getting older, it makes it more difficult for her to tend to her garden and animals. Others do go to help her every now and again, of course, but if she had someone there everyday I imagine she'd be incredibly grateful to you."

James was a little surprised—it wasn't something he was expecting. But, nonetheless, it seemed to make sense and he was thankful for such an offer.

"I'd be more than happy to help her." He responded, receiving a smile from Señor Acosta.

"Well, then, Señor Norrington, no time to waste—let's go see if we can get you two introduced."

Señor Acosta decided to escort James himself. Along the way, Acosta tried to learn as much about the foreigner as possible—sure, he seemed harmless enough, but one could never be too sure. It was his job to know everyone, and to make sure his people were safe and well treated. He could tell from James' posture, step, and speak he was once a man of status, though James didn't explain that part of his life. He did, however, describe some of his time at sea and his knowledge of ships and the Caribbean. James seemed trustworthy, of course, but Señor Acosta decided it was best to play it safe and keep an eye on him during his stay.

When the two finally arrived to Señora Rojas' property that laid a few minutes from the main street, she was out tending to her garden. When her eyes caught sight of Señor Acosta, she waved, smiling brightly as she greeted him with warm remarks. Acosta was just as friendly, allowing her to hug him and talk rapidly, too fast for James to understand. It seemed as if she had yet to even noticed his presence, so caught up in greeting the other man.

"Señora, señora," Acosta said, settling his hands on her shoulders, " _I have brought someone for you to meet._ " He spoke in Spanish once more, and that's when the woman finally looked toward James, " _Señora Rojas, this is Señor Norrington._ " James took hold of the older woman's hand, lowering his head slightly in greeting as she gave him a friendly smile (though she did have a rather curious look in eyes), " _The señor is an Englishman who was washed up by a shipwreck. He needs somewhere to stay until our ship returns, and I know you are always looking for help with your land._ "

" _Sí, I would like to help anyway I can in exchange for shelter._ " Señora Rojas smiled again as she heard James struggle with the language.

"I speak some English," the woman said, much to James' surprise. Similarly, she said this as if she struggled some with the foreign words, "Only some. We can help each other."

"I would enjoy that." James answered with a smile.

"So, Señor," Acosta started, gaining the man's attention once more, "We don't expect the ship back for at least another month, but I think you'll find you're well taken care of here."

James nodded, "Yes, I believe so." He looked back at Señora Rojas with a subtle, friendly smile on his face before turning back, "Thank you very much for all your help today."

After saying their farewells, Señor Acosta left, and immediately Señora Rojas began talking quickly and excitedly, though she caught herself at James' confused expression. It would be a learning process for the both of them.

That afternoon, the first thing Señora Rojas did was insist James bath and clean himself up to get rid of the filth from the sea. As he washed in the back of the property, the Señora was inside, digging through her son's belongings for a couple changes of clothes that James could wear. The clothes he arrived in would be in need of a good wash and some mending if he wanted to continue to reuse them. She also found a pair of shoes for him as well, so that he wasn't "wandering around looking like a homeless mess," as she had put it.

When James was finally presentable again, Señora Rojas took the opportunity to try and learn about her new house guest. Of course, throughout that evening the two struggled some with communication, but they agreed that every day they'd help each other learn more of their foreign languages. Hopefully, by the time James left the island, both of them would be expert bilinguals.

James, primarily, discussed his time at sea and his travels throughout the years, leaving out anything hinting at his time in the Navy. He also told Señora Rojas of Port Royal, how it was a large and well respected trade port full of people from England and Spain and a number of surrounding islands. Señora Rojas also asked about England, and it took James a little more effort to recall his first home; he had left so many years ago, it almost felt like another life to him.

In turn, Señora Rojas talked about her life on Dominica, having lived on the island since childhood. She talked of her late husband's passing, and how their son was always eager to travel the world, taking every opportunity he could to go out on trade trips. Each time, he would always return with a gift for his mother, something to remind both of them of his travels and the great, wide world.

They talked throughout the evening, Señora Rojas insisting that there was no work to be done until the next morning. She explained that there was a young couple from town that would come by once a week to collect from her and sell her goods in town. Señora Rojas said she would share some profit with him, though James tried to insist there was no need. However, she was persistent, and wouldn't take no for an answer. She also suggested that maybe, every now and then, James could go into town with these acquaintances, so he felt like he earned his share even more.

Señora Rojas was the type to go to bed early and wake up with the sun, which was something James appreciated. So, a couple hours after the sun set, she showed James his sleeping space—which was a cot in one corner of her small home, hidden behind a large shelf full of spices, books, and a number of various trinkets. The only other room was her bedroom, the rest of the house being large and spacious. But James wasn't one to complain, especially since Señora Rojas was being so hospitable.

So, he settled into his new bed. James, for a little while, had trouble sleeping. He kept trying to figure out how he survived and ended up on Dominica. It was a mystery he was desperate to solve, but he had no clues. How could he figure it out? Maybe there was something left behind on the beach, or maybe he could find someone who knew something (though he highly doubted that would ever happen). James was stressing himself out as he tried to remember anything that could help him. Finally, he managed to fall asleep, but even then his dreams were riddled with memories of the Flying Dutchman.

* * *

The next day, James awoke early, though he still somehow felt exhausted. He and Señora Rojas were outside half past 6 am. They had very little to do around the property it seemed; of course, he had to tend to the garden and then feed Señora Rojas' small collection of farm animals, but he managed to finish everything before the day even reached 11am.

Señora Rojas, per James' insistence, didn't do very much work. She appreciated him very much for being more than willing to take on the chores alone. So, instead, she decided to prepare a large breakfast for them, in thanks to his hard work.

So, once James finished his chores and breakfast, he asked Señora Rojas how much she knew of the island she called home. She explained that Dominica wasn't very populated, and was covered primarily in rainforest and a number of hot springs, which surprised James to say the least.

The hot springs peaked his interest, primarily because they didn't have anything like that at Port Royal. James wanted to explore, get to know his temporary home some more. When he asked how safe it was for him to wander the island, Señora Rojas laughed, saying it was probably just as safe as any other island could be. Though James didn't really gather much of an answer from that, he decided he may as well take the free time he had to explore.

Señora Rojas supplied him with a compass, a walking stick, a canteen, and a small bag of food. It all felt, to James, like he was a young boy again, being sent off to school by his parents. She insisted he return before nightfall, since he was unfamiliar with the island. She didn't want him to be lost, especially not on his second day here.

James decided the best place to start would be back at the beach, so he walked down to the dock. Once he sorted out his directions, James began walking along the sand, back toward where he awoke the day before.

Out on the rocks, a relaxed form suddenly sprung up at the sight of the young Navy man. They had been waiting there most of the morning in hopes that they'd get to see James again. And just their luck, there he was, just as fascinating as ever. Today, he looked much cleaner than the day before, with a new set of clothes and some supplies. The individual was curious, trying to figure out what those items could be for. They decided maybe they needed a closer look, and carefully lowered into the water, moving closer and closer to the beach.

James hadn't noticed the movement in the water, his focus primarily being on the the masses of trees—he wanted to find a good starting point. As he walked, the person out in the water continued to moved closer.

When James suddenly looked out at the ocean, they splashed under the salt water, hoping they went unseen. But the sound caught James' attention, and for a moment he suspected maybe he was being watched.

But, he reasoned, all that time on the Flying Dutchman had made him incredibly paranoid. It was just some fish, what else could it have been?

Finally, James halted where it looked as if there was an old path between the trees; after all, he couldn't have been the only person to go into the rainforest, others had to have made trails before.

The individual in the water frowned—their mystery sailor was walking in the opposite direction. For a few moments, they assumed that was all the excitement they'd get for the day, but then they remembered all the rivers that flowed from the island to the ocean. Surely, they could follow one to keep an eye on him. So, with a smile, they swam for the nearest river.

James moved slowly, every now and again halting to mark his spot on the old, overgrown trail just in case. The rainforest was beautiful yet intimidating—James wasn't used to wandering places on his own. Something about it left a worried nagging at the back of his mind, though he knew he didn't actually have anything to worry about. There was also adrenaline from the excitement of exploring, which often overpowered any of James' worry.

James wasn't following any river, the other person realized as they kept peeking out of the water, trying to find sight of the man. They could see him far off, but he wasn't close enough for them to see any detail. Regardless, the individual followed to the best of their ability. Eventually, they came to a spring and decided to stop their for a while, still hoping that James would come closer.

They leaned up on a cluster of rocks, lower half still soaking in the warm water. From here, the person could hardly see James, but nonetheless tried to maintain a view of him. The last two days the person wondered about their mystery sailor—why was a living man of the Navy kept aboard the Flying Dutchman for as long as he was? Typically, from their knowledge, anyone alive would be killed almost immediately. But they also knew some of what happened with the East India Trading Company. The crew on the Dutchman always kept the individual and their friends updated on the news. The sailor remained an intrigue and a mystery, however.

The rainforest was beautiful. James couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of relaxation surround him. So far, he hadn't encountered any animals, save for a bird here or there, which was a good sign. Of course, he wouldn't mind some animal life, but for his first journey into the forest he thought this was a good start.

That's when James recalled the hot springs Señora Rojas had mentioned. He had yet to find one, and it was probably the one thing he desperately wanted to see today. So, James continued forward, eyes searching for any sign of water.

The other figure's eyes widened as they saw James get closer. The were wide in excitement, but their heart was pounding rapidly. Were they nervous? Why? But their gaze never left James, and briefly they felt frozen in their spot. Finally, they realized, it looked as if the sailor was actually approaching the spring, and in a panic, the person' splashed into the water.

James had finally spotted a spring, much to his relief, and with a smile began walking quickly for it. As he approached, he almost thought he saw the silhouette of a person on the rocks, but he shook that thought from his head. But then he heard another splash, and stopped again. Why was he being so paranoid? The splash, like before, was probably an animal. He had nothing to worry about. But that nagging feeling was in the pit of his stomach again, so James walked slowly.

When he finally stood along the edge of the water, James let out a sigh. Of course there was nothing there. He was growing weak, he told himself.

The spring was small, half of it covered with rocks of various size. James could see the connecting river on one end, and a much smaller creek on the other. It looked as if people had visited before, with old footprints and a couple small, lost items in the dirt. But no evidence of any recent visit was found.

James knelt beside the water, dipping his hand in and splashing a little on his face. It was warm yet refreshing; it wasn't a hot springs, but the water wasn't icy like that of the ocean.

Across the spring, the other person stayed hidden behind a rock. Their breathing was heavy, though they tried to remain calm so as not to be found out. Their curiosity still got the better of them, and they slowly peeked around the rock at the young sailor. James didn't take notice of the movement as he removed his shoes and rolled up the ends of his pant legs, sitting against a rock and letting his feet soak in the water. The other individual wanted to move closer, get a better look at James, but they knew they couldn't. They knew they had to maintain a distance, or else James may leave in a panic.

As he took some time to relax, James looked around himself, taking in more of the forest. He enjoyed how quiet it was, the only sound being the breeze rustling some branches. This would be a nice place to escape to, he decided, if he ever wanted some time alone. James knew if he explored even further that he'd find more springs, but for today he decided he didn't want to push it too far.

Suddenly, James started to feel a very slight pain in his chest where he had been stabbed on the Flying Dutchman. His brow crinkled in confusion as he gripped the spot, wondering why it could have possibly started hurting now, especially since it appeared to have been almost fully healed. James tugged the collar of his shirt down and to the side so that he could look at the scar. It's not as if the pain was unbearable by any means—it was almost more like an itch—but this was the first time it had ever happened.

The other person looked on curiously as James inspected his chest. The scar from his injury looked well, which pleased them. Yet, James' expression confused them. He looked at the scar as if there was something wrong, which began to worry them. They were certain nothing should be going wrong, but the sailor's face said otherwise. They couldn't help but swim forward some, but quickly caught themselves and gasped before dropping below the water's surface. No, they couldn't present themselves, at least not yet.

Of course, James heard yet _another_ splash, this time preceded by, what he thought was, a gasp. With a startled expression, he looked up at the spring. There was no doubt that someone else had to be here.

Slowly, James stood, first looking around himself before back to the spring. Where were they hiding? With soft steps, he began walking around the water, eyes jumping from place to place. He had yet to hear any other sound, making him more suspicious—they couldn't have disappeared that quickly and quietly.

For a short while, James continued trying to find the other person he knew was here somewhere. Yet he could never find sight of them.

Eventually, James gave up. Maybe he was going crazy. Maybe the other person did get away unseen. Whatever the case, James left in defeat, worry still nagging at him.

Finally, the other individual rose from the water to watch James retreat.

* * *

 **I hope the conversations in Spanish made some sense. I always hate writing direct translations following a sentence, so I hope my paraphrased translations made sense. Also, for future chapters, if someone's speech is in italics, then they're speaking in Spanish (or another language, if specified).**

 **As per usual, review or message me if you have anything to say, I love hearing from the readers so I know if what I'm writing actually works. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!**


	3. Chapter Two

**So, I only _just_ found out a couple days ago that a number of scenes for DMC were filmed on Dominica, which honestly was both satisfying and worrisome. Satisfying, because I had a little more reference for my writings, and worrisome because it made me wonder if I should change the setting. But I'm going to stick with my original plan. And I've been very inspired recently, so here we go with the next update!**

* * *

 _"Stand down," James' voice was unyielding as he stare at Bootstrap Bill, "That's an order."_

 _The other man quietly began to chant, "Part of the crew, part of the ship." And then, his voice grew louder and louder as he continued._

 _"Steady, man!" James yelled, hoping to silence him._

 _"All hands! Prisoners escaping!"_

 _James pulled his gun from its holster as his thoughts grew frantic. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest as he glanced back at Elizabeth. Then, a realization came to him._

 _James shot the rope, hearing Elizabeth call out as she and her crew fell into the sea._

 _And suddenly, a sword was stabbed through his chest, and he could feel every part of his body crying out. He could hear yelling, though it sounded as if it was miles away, being drowned out by the ringing in his ear. Was it Elizabeth?_

 _James' body was stiff as he dropped onto his knees, struggling to maintain his breathe as he realized what was happening. He was dying._

 _James' senses were in overload as he could see imposing movement in front of him, though his vision had become hazy._

 _"James Norrington…" he heard a voice that sounded far off, as if it wasn't even there, "do you fear death?"_

…

As he worked on his daily chores that morning, James was in a daze. The previous night, his dreams were, as they had been the last four evenings, made up of memories from his last couple months as an Admiral and aboard the Flying Dutchman. He was remembering more and more of the days leading up to his "death." However, he was also beginning to dream of the unfamiliar—he dreamed of being deep under the murky water, of being held in delicate arms, of being pulled and pushed onto warm sand. All of this, however, wasn't nearly as clear as the rest of his dreams. It made James wondered if it was simply a dream or if it could have been part of his memories.

James didn't know what to think anymore. Nothing about his survival made much sense to him right now. He felt it was, at least for now, useless to waste his time trying to figure it all out; he needed to start looking toward the future, what he would do now that he was—in the eyes of all his former acquaintances—a dead man.

After completing his chores and sharing lunch with Señora Rojas, James decided he wanted to journey around the island once more. It was something both exciting and relaxing for him, somehow; it fulfilled his need for adventure, he supposed. So, again, Señora Rojas helped him with a few supplies and waved him out the door, reminding him to return early enough so he wouldn't get lost and so she could practice her English.

Over the course of these last few days, James discovered that Dominica's weather was slightly unpredictable—for the most part, it was a very warm (almost too warm) and bright island. But every couple of hours, a brief storm would come through. Each would last only about fifteen minutes, typically, and they all varied in size; some were incredibly light, while others left one drenched to the bone. The island had a rare and brief few days without storms, so when the first one happened two days back, it took James by utter surprise. It was something he'd have to get accustom to, as it seemed these types of storms weren't going anywhere any time soon.

Instead of heading straight for the beach, James decided it'd be smart of him to have a better understanding of the rainforest before continuing to explore it. So, after a minute of thought, he decided to pay Señor Acosta a visit; if anyone around Dominica were to have a map of the whole island, it certainly had to be him.

James made his way to the main street and into the crowds of the marketplace, choosing to keep his head down, though it wouldn't do much help; he still stood out like a sore thumb amongst all the Spaniards, and he could always tell when they were talking about him. James felt very out-of-place, only having been on the island for going on five days. He didn't know anyone here, and he knew that many of the locals were still intending to avoid him until they felt more comfortable. It bothered James, to an extent; sure, he didn't mind his solitude, but it was very lonely and depressing being a complete outsider. He wouldn't deny that sometimes he'd like more acquaintances than just the company of Señora Rojas when he was beginning to feel all alone.

Soon, James was through the throng of people and approaching the front entrance to Señor Acosta's home. Once more, the young woman (' _Her name was Maria, wasn't it?_ ' James thought) answered, giving James a small, respectful greeting.

"Hola, es el señor Acosta?" He asked politely. Maria nodded, leading him into Señor Acosta's currently empty office.

"Él estará con usted en un momento." She replied before leaving the room to find the man of the house. James remained on his feet, waiting, as his eyes curiously glanced around the office; last time he was here, he didn't have much of an opportunity to inspect it. Señor Acosta's office felt crowded—it was full of books and trinkets and furniture. Books of fiction and travel, trinkets from all the islands he'd visited, and furniture to remind him of back home. Would he have considered himself a collector? Or was he just simply a hoarder?

Before James could continue entertaining these thoughts any further, the man in questioned entered.

"Señor Norrington, good to see you again." Acosta greeted warmly, taking James' hand in a brief and firm shake.

"You as well, Señor Acosta."

Señor Acosta waved his hand to an empty chair as he sat behind his desk, inviting James to join him, "What brings you back to my home so soon? Señora Rojas becoming too much for you to handle already?"

The pair shared a brief, friendly laugh, "Not at all, Señor, she has been a wonderful host so far, and I remain gracious to you both."

That's when Señor Acosta took notice of James' current possessions, raising an eyebrow curiously at the supplies for travel, "Are you planning some kind of trip so soon?"

James shook his head and explained, "A few days ago, I had the opportunity to explore some of the island. I was planning on going out again today, but I was wondering if you had a map to aid me."

Señor Acosta immediately nodded, "Of course, of course; I'd be more than happy to lend you one." The older man rose from his seat and approached one of the shelves filled with papers, "May I ask why you want to explore the island?" Acosta wasn't suspicious of the foreigner (though some would have advised him to be), but he had to be cautious. After all, Dominica was his responsibility, and he had to take care of it and his people.

Señor Acosta began shuffling through rolls of paper as James started, "It fulfilled my desire for adventure, I suppose, and my curiosity; this is a new place to me, and I'd like to be more familiar with my surroundings."

Acosta unrolled a paper, briefly glancing over it before returning to James' side, "May I ask what you did before turning up on our shores? It seems to me that your life never kept you in one place for very long." He presented James with the map, giving him a smile.

James, for a moment, was silent as he thought of a background for himself. He gave the other man a grin, hoping to avoid suspicion, "I was a sailor on a merchant vessel. We traveled all across the Caribbean, and then some, which is probably why I remain so eager to explore new places."

Satisfied with the answer, Señor Acosta released the map to James, "I see. Well, if you're going to be venturing around my island, I hope you let me know of any discoveries or troubles you may encounter."

James nodded with a professional smile, "I will give you weekly reports, if you wish."

Acosta chuckled, "It is well appreciated, but unnecessary. Please do stop by if you find anything new. You are always welcome here, my friend."

James felt an odd warmth in his chest. It was interesting that the people he had so far encountered on Dominica were so welcoming to him. It had been a while since he was treated so kindly, and not as a pawn or as a leader. Just as a friend. He didn't realize how much he had missed this feeling before.

Finally, James was setting out on his daily adventure of the island, this time feeling more prepared with the map in hand. He stood just outside Señor Acosta's home as he glanced over it; the map appeared to be newly made, marking a great many trails that James was unaware of. The map also showed that, at the opposite end of the island, there was another port town, similar in size (and James briefly wondered how long it would take him to get there).

For now, he decided it was best to follow the path he chose yesterday, until he was more familiar with his surroundings. So, he journeyed for the beach once more. Señor Acosta said that James could keep this map, having also chosen to supply him with ink and quill to mark the map as he pleased. James sat in the sand near the dock for a brief minute, writing little marks on the map.

Just as before, the mysterious figure sat out on a cluster of rocks. Since James' arrival to the island, the stranger returned every day, hoping to keep an eye on the Navy man—they couldn't help their curiosity surrounding him. It was odd, they thought, how just one man could perplex them so much. They also felt a particular responsibility for James, having been the one that brought him to Dominica; they wanted to make sure he was safe.

James was soon back on his feet, venturing toward the old path once more. And again, the figure perked up and followed him closely.

Just as they had done yesterday, the two made their way into the rainforest. James gazed over the map, figuring out his fastest route to a hot spring. He noticed that it'd be faster to follow the rivers than it would be to follow some of the trails, so he decided it was best for him to start his own, new trail.

James made his way closer to the water, much to the figure's surprise. And then he started walking alongside it, eyes glancing from his map to the river ahead. The figure chose to keep several paces behind, hoping not to be caught. Why they still didn't make their presence known, they weren't sure. Maybe they feared they'd scare James away.

As he moved deeper into the forest, James began to encounter more wildlife than on his previous journey. He was still surprised by the lack of animals on the island. But maybe there was a reason for it, though he decided not to ponder the thought long.

By mid-afternoon, James finally made it to his destination.

The hot spring he decided to visit today was the largest on the island, and seemed to be the easiest to find. Upon arriving to it, James couldn't help but take a moment to stare. The land was absolutely gorgeous, full of trees and flowers and plants he was unfamiliar with. He found that there were patches of land around the spring that weren't clustered with trees, but with grass and flowers, and that small animals were living near the water. Similar to his last day of exploring, he found traces of previous visitors, but it appeared that no one was there for the time being. The day was perfect, the sun bright and a slight breeze rustling through the trees. It made James smile briefly in appreciation.

James approached the water cautiously, hoping not to startle anything as his eyes looked all around himself. The figure in the spring had dived under, swimming quickly for a hiding spot. The water of the hot springs was not nearly as comfortable to swim in as the ocean, but they could tolerate it if it meant they got to see James up close.

James had finally settled down on a rock that sat just at the edge of the spring, removing his belongings, shoes, and clothes so that he could enjoy the water for a bit. Quickly, James settled in against the rocks, sitting waist deep. He felt incredibly relaxed, the steam of the water warming his face. For a few long moments, James closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

Life was so much more relaxing now that James Norrington, the Navy Admiral, was dead. Now, he was just James, and could spend the day as he pleased.

James was surprised at how little he missed his old life. Since he was a boy, being a part of the Navy was his dream. And for many years, he had the wonderful opportunity to live out that dream. But everything started going downhill once he encountered Jack Sparrow. This he had realized some time ago, though. The last few years, he had suffered more than he could imagine, and he knew he had changed from it. The Navy had become less appealing, and all he wanted sometimes was to not have to worry about pirates, or thieves, or Davy Jones. He wanted things to be as they were when he was younger, when he hadn't even made the rank of Captain. But he knew that wouldn't be. So now, he focused on adjusting to this new life.

By now a slight downpour had begun, though James didn't move from where he sat. He was already soaked from the spring, after all, a bit of rain would do no harm. In fact, with it being a lighter rain this time, he felt incredibly soothed by the small droplets hitting his skin.

The mystery figure watched James for a few minutes as he sat silently, as if in a daze. He was staring into the water, but they could see his eyes appeared glazed over. So, slowly and quietly, they swam a little closer, the sound of raindrops masking any small splashes they made.

James felt that stinging itch in his chest once more, right over his scar, which pulled him out of his daze. James blinked as he settled a hand on top of the scar, and the other individual halted behind a small rock, hoping to remain unseen. Curiously, they watched as James gently rubbed at the pink flesh. Why was it becoming irritated? Most of the time, James completely forgot it was even there, but twice now, as he sat alone in the water, it would become agitated.

Once more, the figure dropped below the water and swam a little closer, hiding again and watching James' face carefully. His scar was now feeling, not only itchy, but a little hot, surprising him further. And that's when the other person realized it was them. _They_ made the scar like this. But why? Was this some side effect they were unaware of when they saved James' life?

At that moment, James decided that the best thing for him would be to keep moving, try to take his mind off of the subtle pain in his chest. So, quickly he stood back on his feet, but as he did so, James most _definitely_ saw a person just near a rock, almost right in front of him.

The figure in the water wasn't prepared for James to move so suddenly, and by the time they realized he was on his feet, the two were staring at each other in shock.

For a moment, they felt frozen, neither able to move. James was face to face with a woman he had never seen before, and he could only wonder how she managed to sneak up on him like this. She was staring right back, eyes wide as she feared the Navy man would run from her. The only sound was the rain splashing into spring and onto the surrounding plants.

James took in her features. She looked young, maybe as young as twenty years old. Her eyes were large and appeared to be a shade of blue from this distance, and they had an incredible curiosity about them. Her skin was slightly sun kissed (she could, however, be considered pale in comparison to the other island residents), and her hair was long and… was it purple? No, James reasoned, it had to be the lighting that somehow made it look as if it were tinted a midnight purple.

The woman also stared back, though she already memorized James' features when she saved him nearly a week again. Nonetheless, it was refreshing to see his strong features again.

She wasn't sure, however, what to do now. Should she go? Should she wait for James to do something first? Either way, she was found out, and she could no longer continue to sneak around and follow him. Something had to be done and decided at this point, she discerned.

James realized how completely inappropriate it was for him to stand there bare in front of her (though it was as if she hadn't even noticed the problem with it), and quickly picked up his trousers from the ground. But as he did so, letting his eyes drift from the woman for just a moment, he heard a rapid flurry of splashes.

She was gone. Wherever she managed to disappear to so quickly, James wasn't sure, but now he wondered if he'd ever find out who she was.

James took a few minutes to think over what had just occurred. Somehow, this stranger snuck up on him. James was almost certain she had probably followed him to the spring, but that led him to his next question—why? What reason did she have to follow him? She seemed just as surprised as he when James discovered her, so had she ever intended to make herself known? It seemed not, because now she was gone.

Finally, James decided it was best for him to return home; he didn't want to be out here any longer, especially since he felt like he was being watched this whole time. So, he collected his belongs and began the trek back to Señora Rojas' home.

Upon his return, James was greeted warmly and by the smell of dinner being prepared.

"¿Cómo fue el bosque hoy, James?" Señora Rojas asked about his trip into the forest.

James' brow was slightly wrinkled as he put away his belongings, " _It was good, at first._ " He replied in Spanish. Señora Rojas turned from her cooking to look at the young man, who looked a little distracted, " _But something strange happened once I found a spring._ "

" _Strange? In what way?_ " The pair sat together at the small dining table. Señora Rojas was obviously very intrigued—she leaned forward a little, eyes focused on James' expression.

" _There was a woman there…_ " He started, causing the Señora to chuckle at him.

" _There are many women living on Dominica, James._ " She replied in amusement.

But James shook his head, " _There was something strange about her… she followed me, I think… I can't explain it._ "

" _And you didn't recognize her?_ " The older woman asked, though she doubted he would have after only living here a few days.

" _Not at all._ " James thought a moment, remembering how she looked in detail, " _She was paler than anyone I've met here so far… large eyes…_ " Then James remembered her most prominent feature, " _Her hair looked purple._ "

Señora Rojas' eyebrows raised, " _Purple?_ "

" _It sounds crazy…_ " James nodded, " _but I'm almost certain it was._ "

The elder shook her head as she stood once more, returning to her cooking. After a moment, she gave James a small smile, " _There are always stories of the mystery of the Caribbean… perhaps she's not what we assume her to be._ "

" _What do you mean, Señora?_ "

She responded with a shrug, " _I'm simply saying, you'll encounter all kinds of interesting things along your travels, some that are not always within explanation, at least to some._ "

" _You have no idea…_ " James muttered to himself as he rubbed his temples and sighed. He had to figure this stranger out.

* * *

 **Please please please let me know what you all think! I'm so fond of this story, and not hearing feedback is always a concern for me. I like hearing everyone's inquiries and thoughts, so review (or message me)!**


	4. Chapter Three

**Oooh, I was so excited for this chapter! I told myself I wouldn't post it until I finished writing chapter five, but I'm already halfway through it, and I was way too pumped to update again. So, here it is!**

* * *

 _"Come with us." Elizabeth said firmly, gazing out toward her crew. James looked at her in shock, regaining her attention, "James, come with me." Her gaze was insistent._

 _"Who goes there!" A voice called out above them, startling the pair. James quickly drew his sword, eyes toward the sky as he tried to find the source of the voice. He saw one of Davy Jones' men quickly disappear from sight._

 _"Go! I will follow." James insisted, eyes continuing to search. He could feel Elizabeth's strong gaze on him._

 _"You're lying." She sounded upset, causing him to look back once more. The pair were frozen, staring into each other's eyes._

 _"Our destinies have been entwined, Elizabeth," He started, "but never joined."_

 _James plucked up the courage to lean in, planting his lips upon Elizabeth's in a firm, brief kiss, "Go now!" James insisted, pulling back from the woman quickly. He turned away, sword ready for whatever was to come. He could hear Elizabeth behind him, climbing onto the rail, then to the rope hanging from the Flying Dutchman to the next ship._

 _James' gaze fell upon Bootstrap Bill, who moved slowly toward him, "Back to your station, sailor." the Navy Man stated firmly, sword pointed to the undead man._

 _Bootstrap stared at Elizabeth briefly before gazing at James, "No one leaves the ship."_

 _"Stand down," James' voice was strong and firm, eyes never leaving the other man, "That's an order."_

 _Bootstrap Bill's voice was softer as he muttered, "Part of the crew, part of the ship." And then, his voice grew as he continued to repeat that phrase._

 _"Steady, man!" James called over him, but to no avail._

 _"All hands! Prisoners escaping!"_

 _James withdrew his gun as he yelled out, also hearing Elizabeth calling to him from halfway across the rope. His gaze became panicked as his heart pounded, looking back between Elizabeth and Bill. Quickly, he made his choice._

 _James shot the rope, Elizabeth and her crew plummeting toward the ocean as they yelled out. And that's when it happened._

 _Suddenly, a sword was stabbed through his chest, and he could feel every part of his body crying out. He could hear yelling, though it sounded as if it was miles away, being drowned out by the ringing in his ear. Was it Elizabeth?_

 _James' body was stiff as he dropped onto his knees, struggling to maintain his breathe as he realized what was happening. He was dying._

 _James' senses were in overload as he could see imposing movement in front of him, though his vision had become hazy._

 _"James Norrington…" he heard a voice that sounded far off, as if it wasn't even there, "do you fear death?"_

…

That night, James was restless. His dreams weren't haunted by his death this time, but he couldn't seem to shake this woman from his head. Señora Rojas was correct when she said he'd meet some crazy people on his journeys, he knew that from first hand experience. But he couldn't just tell her that—he was certain she wouldn't believe that he "died" aboard the Flying Dutchman, after all. So, he tried to consider an explanation.

Normally, James would just assume the woman was a local on the island who was too curious about the foreign man living in town. However, he had a feeling she was more than that; he'd started to learn the difference between what felt normal and what felt strange after he encountered a crew of undead pirates. And she definitely felt strange to him.

The following day, after managing to get a couple mediocre hours of sleep, James decided to ask Señor Acosta if he potentially knew who this mystery woman was. Though James was certain the older man would be clueless, a part of him had to know if he was being crazy to think she was something more than a normal woman.

Instead of taking lunch with Señora Rojas after finishing up his routine of chores and cleaning, James announced his plans and made for the large home at the end of main street.

Soon enough, James was being escorted into the house like he had the day before, taking a seat in a chair across from Señor Acosta, who sat at his desk.

"Back again, Señor Norrington?" The older man smiled and greeted in English once more. Though James wouldn't admit it, he appreciated that Acosta was willing to speak in James' native tongue. He probably did so because he knew James would be speaking Spanish more often than not, so it could be a small comfort to ease the foreigner during his time here, "At this rate, I'd guess we really are friends."

James smiled and nodded back, "Perhaps we could be."

For a brief instant, the pair sat in silence, before Acosta straightened in his chair, "I was intending to take lunch soon, if you'd care to join me."

"I would hope not to impose." James replied, but the Señor waved his hand as if dismissing the statement.

"I've already told you you're always welcome… Now, what brings you back today?"

James glanced down to his hands for a moment, "It's about my trek into the forest yesterday."

"Oh?" Señor Acosta sat up a little straighter in his seat.

"I encountered something—well _someone_ —strange. And I wanted to ask if maybe you were familiar with her."

At that, Acosta grinned widely, "So you've met a woman while out… What could be so strange about that?" His tone was suggestive, and James would have been amused if it were not for the circumstances in which he met her.

James sighed lightly, "Well, she had purple hair…"

"Purple hair?" Señor Acosta laughed, unsurprising to James, "Señor, people don't have _purple_ hair."

"That's exactly the point." James jumped in, "That's part of the reason why she was so strange. I know nothing about her aside from this. I never had the chance to speak to her."

"My friend…" Acosta stopped for a moment, "perhaps you never actually saw her." James' eyes narrowed, "Could you have imagined her? Maybe the shipwreck you were in caused some head damage that you are unaware of."

It was a logical explanation, James reasoned. However, he had learned that, sometimes, logic had no place in the things he's encountered.

But James nodded—it was best for him to stick to that story, at least for the sake of everyone else. James knew what he saw. He knew he wasn't just imagining things. But it was better for him to go along with it. At least, now, he had confirmed one thing—this woman was anything but average. And James' next step was to figure out who (or what) she really was.

"Perhaps you're correct." James stood, putting on a reassuring grin, "That makes more sense than any wild ideas I had in my head. Thank you, Señor."

James was prepared to head for the door and take some time alone to think this woman over, but Señor Acosta stood, "There's no need to rush out, Señor Norrington—we still have our lunch."

* * *

After spending an hour or so dining with Señor Acosta, James wasn't sure what to do next. The reasonable part of him thought to return to his home and spend the rest of the afternoon quietly—the reasonable part wanted to just put this strange woman behind him for at least a day. However, the more curious part of him wanted to go back out and find her, because he knew she wasn't just a figment of his imagination.

Finally, after what felt like hours of thought (but was, in actuality, simply minutes), James started walking through the village main street. This time, he kept his eyes up, scanning everyone that passed by—perhaps, if he was lucky, he could find the woman. Though he doubted it'd be that easy or obvious, he couldn't help but remain hopeful. Just as it was every other day, a number of the locals gazed at him curiously; by now, they weren't actively avoiding him, as they knew the Englishman wasn't going anywhere any time soon. But every face that looked back at James was unfamiliar. Though a part of him wanted to simply ask if anyone was acquainted with her, he decided that probably wasn't in his best interest either. If anything, _that_ would cause people to avoid him.

Once he had lapped up and down the street a couple times, James gave up—this was obviously a pointless endeavor. He knew before he started that it would be. So, with a final sigh, James started back for Señora Rojas' home. As he started the walk back, however, James looked out toward the vast, blue ocean, eying it longingly. Of course, he missed the sea. How could he not, after spending almost all his life there? The sea really was his home, more than England, or Port Royal, or anywhere else he had known. So, James changed his path, and began down to the comfortable, familiar sand.

The ocean breeze was warm against James' skin, blowing back a few loose strands of hair. James smiled slightly at the smell of the salt air and the warm sunlight reflecting off the water, things that he had started to miss. Had it really been nearly a week since his arrival? It felt like a lifetime ago when he last sailed the waters, and all James wanted now was to be back out there.

After walking a short distance from the dock, James sat on the warm sand, gaze never leaving the ocean; he wondered just how much longer he'd have to wait until he could be on a ship again. Would it be a week? Or would it be months? His new home here on Dominica had, of course, been very good for him, but James couldn't help his desire to be out there, traveling the seas again.

James' minded drifted back to the woman once more. After all he's dealt with in the past—the undead pirates and their cursed gold, Davy Jones' crew and his heart—James knew there was something different about this women. He'd be crazy to think she was something akin to normal, because he could just _feel_ that she was different, unique. He just had to figure out why.

As James sat, admiring the waters and entertaining his thoughts about this woman further, he noticed something on a cluster of rocks, causing his eyes to narrow. Though the glare of the sun made it hard to tell, it appeared to be the silhouette of a person, from this distance. Slowly, James rose to his feet, hoping to get a better look. Sure enough, he noticed long hair slightly blowing in the wind, and he was certain he could see the subtle shape of a woman, causing his eyes to widen some.

It couldn't have been this easy, right? Could that mystery person out in the water be the woman he was looking for? If so, why wasn't she trying to hide from him? Or had she not noticed him yet? Maybe she was just a different local, and James was letting his thoughts become too caught up in the stranger.

But it _had_ to be her. It was too much of a coincidence for it not to be.

So, James called to her, "Miss!"

From out on the rocks, the woman had been watching James for some minutes. Since he saw her the day prior, she came to the decision that it was pointless to try to hide from him anymore. After being found out, she knew that, now, she couldn't just disappear never to be seen again. Besides, she was much too curious about the man to just leave now with all her questions left unanswered.

So, when she saw him begin to advance toward the beach from the port town, she didn't move from her spot. Of course, she was still afraid of what would happen if he did approach her, afraid of the confrontation that would occur. But she knew she'd been waiting for this—waiting for her chance to finally talk to her Navy man. She couldn't avoid him forever. And, if she didn't take a couple of chances now, when would she have an opportunity to see him again?

When James called to her, the woman eyed him carefully; his expression gave way to just how surprised he was to see her again. He called again, after she didn't respond to him the first time. Now, he started walking out toward the ocean at a quickened pace. She watched him for only another moment longer, before her eyes widened in panic and realization—he _couldn't_ step foot in the ocean again. So, she immediately dove off her rock, swimming toward James frantically.

"Stop!" She called out, and her voice was much huskier than James expected (though, somehow, it managed to also sound quite melodic). He looked at her in confusion, slowing for only a moment, but continued moving forward. As he stepped into the ocean, moving closer and closer toward her, he could feel that itching and burning return to his scar.

The woman continued swimming forward; by now, James was practically waist deep in water, only causing her to panic more. Finally, she was close enough to start pushing him back, and James was surprised, not only by the unexpected contact, but also by her strength (and he couldn't help but wonder why she wouldn't just stand and use her full weight to push him). He tripped and stumbled as he was pushed back, falling over his feet a couple times into the water.

"If you don't get out of the water, _he'll_ find you!" She said rapidly, and by now James didn't need her pushing him back toward the beach. James' brow was furrowed, until he came to realize who she could have possibly been talking about.

 _Davy Jones_. Why Davy Jones would come after him, James wasn't even remotely sure, but he decided it was best to listen and ask questions later.

So, he moved quickly back to shore, his wet clothes and shoes becoming uncomfortable once he was back on dry land. The woman, however, stayed back in the water, much to James' confusion. They stared at each other, just like the day before, both trying to come up with something to say or do first.

Finally, James decided to speak up first, slightly out of breath, "How long have you been following me?" The woman swam a little closer, but remained wadding in the water. She was fascinated by his voice—she had never met a man with such a strong and crisp tone before. All the crew on the Flying Dutchman (and any sailors she encountered, in general) sounded rough and weathered by the sea, so she expected something similar from James, and was unprepared for the voice she just heard.

"I've been looking out for you." She replied hesitantly, and as she did so James tried to figure out where an accent like hers could have came from.

"And why?" He took a step forward, but halted, remembering not the touch the salt water. The stranger was silent for a few long moments, eyes cast down. James looked over her, like he had done yesterday, though, again, he couldn't see much; but this second meeting did confirm that her hair wasn't any natural color (though, at first glance, one would simply assume it to be raven black in color).

Finally, she looked back into his eyes, taking in a large breath, "Because… I wanted to make sure you weren't hurt." Her gaze moved down toward his chest, which still itched, though he was too distracted to notice it, "I…" she wondered just how much to tell him, "Your injury should have killed you, but… I saved you."

James eyes narrowed in surprise, "You? If you saved me, why have you been hiding?"

"I didn't want to be seen." She answered simply, and James sighed at her avoidance of a real answer.

" _Why_?" The two were silent for a few long moments as the woman remained fearful of giving James an answer, "Please, you must tell me _something_. Since waking on this island, I've only had questions. You may have a few of the answers I'm looking for."

Finally, she sighed, "I was worried I would… scare you off."

"How could you scare me?" James questioned in almost an amused tone; after all, this woman looked as if she couldn't even scare a fly (though, when he recalled the strength she had while pushing him, he briefly thought twice on that) .

She bit her lip, large eyes searching James expression, "Let's just say it's… difficult to explain to someone like you."

"Someone like me?" James sounded a little offended, looking around himself for a moment, "And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I'm not sure you're ready to find out." There was almost an amused glint to her eyes, but she was only using it to hide her continuous doubts.

James nearly scoffed—he wasn't _ready_? He highly doubted that, especially after all he'd seen in the last few years. If anything, he was more prepared than most for anything shocking.

"You'd be surprised just how little will shock me now." He responded with a furrowed brow. The woman continued to stare at James in thought, before turning her gaze out toward the vast ocean. The pair remained silent, and James was growing more and more impatient.

During their silence, however, he had the opportunity to think over the encounter so far. She was worried she'd scare him, and she believed he'd be shocked if she explained why. These were painfully obvious indicators to James that she was anything but normal. So, he rattled his brain, thinking of any and all absurd explanations of what she could be hiding. And a great number came to mind—maybe she was some kind of witch, or maybe undead like the pirates, or maybe something else all together.

When the woman finally looked back to him, there was hesitation and disappointment in her eyes, "Meet me here tomorrow."

James was about to ask why, but the woman had begun swimming out toward the ocean. She swam for a large boulder, too far for him to even see her. Was she just going to hide out there until he left? James couldn't help but be shocked by her behavior, but decided it was probably in his best interest to listen, or else he may never see her again.

But of course, he wondered why she remained in the ocean. Why wouldn't she leave the water on both of their encounters?

That's when another possibility came to mind, one he'd heard tales of since his first voyage to sea. It was the myth of beautiful women that would lure sailors to their deaths in the deep of the ocean. Beautiful women who were one with the sea and its creatures. Beautiful women who weren't as human as they first appeared.

For another minute, James started at her small silhouette, a strange sense of satisfaction washing over him. _This_ was the explanation he was searching for. He could feel it, somehow. He figured it out, he just knew it.

So, finally, James began walking back to his home, a small smile crossing his lips as he continued to picture the woman in his head.

* * *

 _"What happened next, Maccus?" a young woman, Adrienna, asked, eyes wide as she and three of her sisters watched the half-hammerhead man. He grinned, enjoying the attention that he rarely got the chance to receive. The pair sat upon the mouth-like bow of the Flying Dutchman, and in the water below a few others swam, their multicolored tails delicately splashing in the water._

 _"Well…" the man started, clearing his throat, "suddenly, we were faced with even more men—maybe thirty, maybe forty. But the group only got larger, and our crew even more terrified."_

 _"Forty?" Darya asked in doubt, "Maccus, I do believe you're exaggerating." She and the other mermaids shared a giggle—they found that the crew aboard the Dutchman had a tendency to make up lies when sharing their stories. After all, it wasn't often they had beautiful women willing to see them, let alone listen to them._

 _"I am not!" He raised his voice slightly, eyes narrowing some, but the women only continued to look on in amusement._

 _"Please, do continue," Adrienna said, resting a dark hand upon his arm, "I want to know how you all won the battle."_

 _Maccus' grin returned as he continued telling his story, "Now, faced with well over seventy men, we were all wondering 'can we really take them?' We were easily outnumbered and…"_

 _Just a few feet from the group, a purple haired mermaid was looking into the ship through a lower porthole. Her gaze was inquisitive as she watched a small group of men, quite unlike the rest of the Dutchman's crew. These were Navy men, regular human males. They shouldn't have been aboard this ship, and she wondered why they were here._

 _They started showing up about two weeks ago, though the reason was a mystery to her—none of the crew would explain when she or her sisters asked. It made her suspect that there was a more complicated reason for their arrival, left a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, one that she was not too comfortable with._

 _One of these Navy men in particular drew her attention. Upon their first arrival, she could tell he was one of the leaders (the Navy Admiral, she later discovered) of these living men. He commanded attention, and the mermaid couldn't help but be fascinated by him. On top of that, she quickly discovered that he (along with other men) was also giving Davy Jones orders. When she asked the crew why their captain didn't fight back—or even kill the Navy men—they avoided the question. The mermaids, of course, found all this ridiculous; how could a powerful and cursed crew allow simple human men to command them?_

 _"Kaisa!" Adrienna called the attention of her sister. The other mermaid averted her gaze from the Navy men to look at the others in question, "What could be so fascinating about them when we have Maccus here with a new story?"_

 _The others nodded or laughed in agreement, causing Kaisa to blush a little._

 _"Don't tell me it's those Navy men again." Melody rolled her eyes, causing the group to giggle, "Aren't you bored of them yet? You've seen more than enough of the Navy in your lifetime."_

 _"Until Maccus or the others answer my questions," Kaisa started in her husky voice, "I will remain too curious for my own good."_

 _At that, the others looked back to Maccus in agreement with their sister, "Are you ever going to tell us why they keep coming on board?" Melody questioned, "They've been here much too long for living men, after all. When are they to become cursed?"_

 _Maccus gave an exasperated groan, "You merfolk are always too curious for your own good—it'll get you into trouble one day."_

 _"We're accustom to trouble." Mariza, the youngest of the group, replied simply with a smile matching that of her sisters'._

 _"Just tell us." Darya insisted._

 _"Please." All the mermaids chorused. Kaisa continued to watch Maccus, hoping he'd share more details with them._

 _"Fine…" he started, "I'll tell you why they're here…" He leaned forward, causing the women to move toward him with wide, curious eyes, "They've come to… kidnap all our lovely mermaids!" With that, he grabbed a tight hold of Adrienna, causing her to shriek and the others to begin laughing wildly._

 _Kaisa let out a sigh, looking back into the porthole. The Navy Admiral was still there, talking quietly with members of his crew opposite her. His expression was stern, and it made her wonder what could be going on in his head._

 _Something about the men made Kaisa feel like a kid again; she felt a child-like curiosity when they were around, though she wasn't sure why. Particularly that Admiral, though—he made her even more curious than the rest did. Something indescribable about him drew Kaisa in. She had a million questions just about him alone, but she knew, at this rate, they'd never be answered._

* * *

 **So, what did everything think? Writing this and the next chapter was a little difficult for me at first, I think both went through about three revisions, but I finally got them to a place that I'm very happy with. Also, keep in mind that neither of the characters obviously knows what happened after James dies in AWE, so sometimes I may write something (like Davy Jones) that doesn't actually match up with the readers knowledge.**

 **Pleeeease let me know what you thought of this chapter! It's an important one, and I want to make sure everyone is enjoying it!**


	5. Chapter Four

**Just wanted to give a shout out to everyone that has reviewed so far! Even if I haven't responded to all of you, I just want everyone to know that each review is super appreciated and motivating** **—they're one of the biggest reasons why I'm working so hard on this story.**

 **Also, I just remembered as I was writing this chapter that one of my first POTC OCs that I created when I was about 12 was named Adrianna, and it's funny that the name is showing up again all these years later. IDK, I think it's cute, but maybe you all don't care hah.**

 **This is also the first of my chapters to start with a flashback that doesn't have anything to do with James. I can't guarantee how many will center around James and how many will center around Kaisa, but I know that next chapter will be the last of the flashbacks of James' death.**

 **Anyway, this chapter is, in my opinion, a pretty good one, and I hope you all again. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _For the last couple of decades, Kaisa and her sisters had been following the Flying Dutchman whenever it returned to the Caribbean sea. Since they were small, they heard the tales of the dangers of Davy Jones and his ghastly crew, but, like most mermaids, they were incredibly inquisitive, and they always wondered what an encounter with such a crew would be like._

 _The night they first met the crew, Melody had led her sisters to a small fishing boat. She claimed the crew would be easy targets for a bit of mischief—the girls enjoyed teasing humans, maybe scaring them a little, but tried not to be hostile unless provoked. They found that a great number of sailors didn't deserve the malice, though many other sisters across the seas would disagree with them in that regard._

 _It was as the group was approaching the fishing boat that they took notice of the Flying Dutchman emerging from the depths far off in the distance. The humans aboard the small boat wouldn't have noticed it, for it was nearly pitch black outside, but it was easily seen by mermaid eyes. So, they waited, watching for a few minutes to see what the ship and crew would do. But for a long while, the Dutchman simply sailed across the waters, which, to the sisters, was relatively anticlimactic._

 _"You know what would be much more interesting than the men aboard this fishing boat?" Adrienna started, gleaming eyes never leaving the Dutchman._

 _"The men aboard_ that _ship?" Kaisa questioned with a large grin. With a silent agreement from the others, they dove back into the waters to swim after the ship._

 _None of them knew what to expect of the Flying Dutchman's crew. Of course, they heard legends, many claiming the men didn't look like men at all, and that Davy Jones was something out of nightmares. But were any of these tales true?_

 _It didn't take as long as they had expected to catch up to the ship, and soon they were swimming alongside, trying to find a means to set eyes on the crew. But all the portholes were closed up, and it looked as if climbing along the side of the ship would be difficult. The mermaids were nearly prepared to give up._

 _"Now what?" Mariza asked in a defeated tone. She and her sisters continued swimming with the ship._

 _"Should we call their attention?" Kaisa jumped in, still trying to find a means of looking into the ship._

 _"Would that even work?" Darya looked between all her sisters before settling her gaze on Adrienna, who was the oldest and, typically, came up with the best ideas._

 _The eldest, however, was quiet, though it was obvious she was in thought. Her eyes were turned up toward the Dutchman, "It couldn't hurt to try it…" She had spotted a man up in the crow's nest, though she couldn't quite make out his face. But it was still worth a shot at getting his (or anyone else's) attention. So, she began calling out to him, her voice booming. It may not have been their best plan, but the group was a little too excited to think of something better (after all, this was the_ Flying Dutchman _, a ship they thought they'd never find). The others chorused with her, their voices overlapping one anothers. They almost would have sounded melodic if they were singing instead of yelling, their voices melding together near perfectly._

 _Finally, after a minute or so, someone leaned over the rail of the ship. The man appeared to have barnacles and mussels growing across his face, causing the mermaids to gasp—so the legends were true, it seemed. The man looked down at them with a frustrated gaze, before calling back over his shoulder. Two more men came to stand by his side, one that appeared to have a hermit shell as a head, and the other looked as if he had a pufferfish spine growing across his face._

 _For a brief moment, the men said nothing, being surprised, confused, and easily a little frustrated at the sight of women in the water below them. In turn, the mermaids stared right back at them, all wide eyed and waiting for a response. But they were growing impatient._

 _"Are you going to say something?" Adrienna called to them, "Or will we have to do all the talking ourselves?"_

…

The next morning, James had woken up earlier than usual—he couldn't seem to get a good night's sleep after his second encounter with the woman yesterday. He was awake before the sun, and decided that he may as well walk down to the beach now, seeing as he had nothing better to do at the moment. He'd be able to catch the sunrise, which would be very relaxing before having to deal with his next discussion with the mystery woman.

James sat under a small cluster of trees, shielded just in case it began to rain on him. Even though the sun wasn't out yet, the island was still quite warm, much to James' delight. The only thing that wasn't warm was the sand, which was just cool enough to be refreshing compared to the air around it.

About twenty minutes last, James could see the sun beginning to rise against the blue ocean, and, for a moment, he felt like he was back in the Navy, up and ready to begin the day before even the sun started doing it's job. But the thought passed rather quickly. That was his old life, and there was no going back to it.

James' mind began to drift back to the woman whom he was supposed to see again today. He'd come to the realization yesterday what she was, and, at this point, had already accepted it to be true. James was a smart man, and after all the crazy things he had been through, he stopped being surprised by anything supernatural; these last few years, he saw things most had considered to be myths. So, her being some kind of siren or mermaid—as he'd come to conclude—was actually _not_ the craziest thing he'd encountered. Nonetheless, even if at this point he was unphased by it, he still had _many_ questions that she probably had answers to, so maybe he'd discover a thing or two that could actually surprise him.

It was about another hour or so before James spotted a silhouette swimming toward him, and he already knew who it was (and seeing her now reaffirmed his suspicious that she was a creature of the sea). So, he stood, walking closer to the salt water, though still keeping his distance, as he remembered the warning from yesterday. He decided, during this wait, that'd he'd just get things out of the way, and let this woman know the theories he'd come up with about her. After all,why should he put it off?

When she was close enough to hear him speak (he knew she was, because he could begin to feel that subtle itch in his chest, even with her twenty feet away), the woman could see a kind of determination in James' features, which caused her eyes to narrow in curiosity.

James, without missing a beat, got to the point very quickly, "I know what you are." He stated matter of factly, taking the woman back a little. _Did_ he? Obviously, she had tried to hide it, but at any point had she made enough of a show of it for the Navy man to have figured her out, at least to some extent?

Though a number of thoughts were running through her head, all she could mustered was a surprised, "oh?" which James could hardly hear from the distance she was at.

"I began to suspect it yesterday, and I'm fairly confident in my conclusion." Though James tried to remain poised, the woman could see the slight shadow of a self-satisfied grin on his lips.

"If you only suspect, how can you know it to be true?" She quirked an eyebrow, trying to maintain her show of mystery and confidence.

"Because I believe there is no other explanation." The woman came a little closer as James continued to give her a small smirk. Her gaze was curious and perplexed as she looked over the man a couple times.

"Then, pray tell, what am I?" She asked, matching the man's grin. For a moment, James simply stared at her, trying to read her eyes.

"Show me your tail." He said simply, glancing down toward the ocean where her lower half was still hidden. The woman wouldn't deny her surprise at how quickly he had figured it out, and how casually he was handling the situation. This surprise became obvious to James quickly, so he added, "At this rate, very little could _actually_ shock me."

"So it would seem." She responded in a smaller voice. The mermaid glanced up and down the beach a couple times to make sure no one else was present, before allowing the very ends of her tail to splash up out of the water briefly. James only caught a small glimpse of it, and returned his gaze to the woman's face; a part of him, of course, was still subtly surprised, since for so many years his world was perfectly normal. But the more seasoned part of him saw the tail as if it was nothing out of the ordinary, just another part of his life as a sailor, "Now, that we're past that, Admiral," (and the use of his previous title took James by surprise), "I have a few questions for you."

James let out a small, breathy laugh as he narrowed his eyes, " _You_ have a few questions for me? And what possibly about?"

"You." The mermaid replied simply, to James' surprise.

"If anything, I have more questions to ask of you." He replied as he crossed his arms.

"Then I guess we'll be having quite the discussion, won't we?" She gave James a small grin, and he narrowed his eyes at the casualness in her tone.

"So it would seem…" He repeated her words back to her as his gaze turned up toward the sun. By now, he knew Señora Rojas would be awake and wondering where he was at this hour. On top of that, he had responsibilities he had to tend to first and foremost, "Shall we meet back here again?"

Now, the mermaid gave him an inquisitive look, coming a little closer, almost as if in concern, "You're leaving already?"

"There are things I must take care of first."

He was prepared to leave, turning to walk back toward the town, "When will you return?" The mermaid sounded very eager, eyes never leaving James.

"I'll be finished by midday."

Again, her eyes drifted up and down the beach a couple times, "Perhaps somewhere more private—by then there are at least a few people down here in the water."

James nodded, "The hot spring, then?"

"Yes, the spring."

And with that, James turned and began back for his home.

* * *

Kaisa was surprised by this next interaction—she didn't expect the Navy man to be so… prepared. She didn't think he'd know what she was. But, she reasoned, it was understandable that he was well prepared to handle "myths," since she _did_ first see him aboard the Flying Dutchman. Nonetheless, he managed to take her by surprise, which actually left Kaisa feeling particularly amused and eager to see him again.

For a while, Kaisa stayed floating near the beach (but not too close for anyone to notice her, she hoped); she wasn't ready to return to her sisters only to leave again so soon, and she preferred waiting in the salt water of the ocean rather than the hot waters of the springs. She began to wonder if her sisters were becoming suspicious of where she disappeared to every day, but reasoned against it. They were all used to Kaisa going off on her own; the only time they were ever concerned is when she didn't return to them by late evening.

As Kaisa waited, she started to think of what questions to ask the Navy man first—she'd come up with so many inquiries that she wasn't sure where to start. Should she ask about the Dutchman? Or the Navy? Or about his personal life? She had more questions than there was time in the day.

After a few hours of waiting (that honestly felt _much_ longer than they were), Kaisa spotted the man approaching the beach, giving anyone he passed a friendly nod, though he looked a little hesitant the whole time; he had yet to become comfortable around the locals, this much Kaisa could tell.

The man looked out toward the ocean, obviously searching for her. Instead of trying to catch his attention, she started for the river, knowing he'd soon start following the path. As Kaisa made her way toward the spring, she kept checking behind her for the man, and luckily he was never too far behind her.

By now, James had finally taken notice of the mermaid some yards ahead of him. It had starting raining a few minutes into their trek into the forest, though both were unphased by it; after all, they knew it'd end in another few minutes, as it always did.

Sure enough, once the pair finally made it to a spring, the rain was gone again. Kaisa sat up on a rock facing James, who was setting down the couple of belongings he brought along with him. As he dropped his things to the ground, James watched Kaisa, realizing then that the mermaid didn't wear any kind of clothing. Her chest was exposed, causing James to blush a dark shade when he noticed, and quickly averted his eyes downward toward her tail. Now, he had a much better view of it—she was sitting much closer than she ever had before, and she wasn't making an effort to hide it. The tail was royal purple in color, the scales catching the light of the sun ever so slightly. For a few long moments, James couldn't help but stare at it; how could he not, now that he finally had the opportunity to examine it in detail?

The mermaid watched his gaze the whole time, "It's rude to stare." She joked, lightly flicking her tail in his direction.

James gave her a smart, teasing grin, though he still remained a little flustered by her nudity, "Not nearly as rude as spying, though."

Kaisa smirked, though her cheeks slightly pinkened, "I guess I deserve that." Her gaze fell toward the water for a moment, "You can touch this water, you know—just not the ocean."

James took that as an invitation, removing his shoes and rolling up the ends of his trousers.

"Do you have a name?" He asked as he sat at the edge of the spring, soaking his feet in it.

Kaisa laughed mockingly and furrowed her brow, "Do _you_ have a name?"

"Well, of course," James replied, realizing the stupidity of his query as he did, "It was a silly question…"

"What is your name, then?" Kaisa quirked an eyebrow, and noticed that the man tried very hard not to look at her.

"James Norrington…" He hesitated to share his last name, realizing it was probably insignificant to her.

"Kaisa." She responded simply, and James found he liked the ring and uniqueness of her name.

"It's a pleasure to officially make your acquaintance." He responded, receiving a smile from the mermaid. The two fell into a silence for a moment, both thinking of what to ask first, "So, where do we start?"

Kaisa's eyes widened in eagerness as she leaned forward in her seat, which briefly drew James' attention back down toward her chest, though his eye snapped away once more, "Tell me about yourself, James." He also found he liked the ring Kaisa's accent added to his own name.

"May I ask you a few questions first?" He asked, and the woman raised an eyebrow at him, "There are some things I need desperately answered." So, Kaisa gave him a nod as she slid back into the water, swimming closer to him (and James inadvertently leaned back some), "How did I survive?"

Kaisa almost looked surprised at the question, "Well, mermaid tears." She said in a matter of fact tone, as if the answer was completely obvious.

" _Mermaid tears_?" James repeated back with a furrowed brow, "And how does that work?"

Kaisa was already beginning to realize how different their worlds were; he didn't know mermaids existed until just recently, so it only made sense that he may not have heard the legend of mermaid tears.

"We have… healing qualities," She started as she began to casually float on her back (and James tried to keep his eyes only on her face, which Kaisa took note of), "mermaid tears are said to have a number of capabilities, one of which is healing injuries." She looked into James' eyes, "You were very nearly dead when they were preparing to throw you overboard, but there was a small part of you somehow still fighting it. By some means, you were keeping yourself alive, even if just barely."

"And you… cried to save me?"

She gave James a nod, "I was sad for you, afraid for you. I'd grown rather fond of your presence on the Dutchman, and the last thing I wanted was to see you go."

"Wait," James' brows knit together again as all other questions left his thoughts, "you were spying on me aboard the Flying Dutchman as well?"

"... Not technically." The mermaid answered with a subtle grin, "We've been… I'd like to say friends with the crew for decades, my sisters and I. We often followed the ship when it was within the Caribbean."

James' expression only remained utterly confused as he gaze at Kaisa, "How many of you were following the ship? You hardly look older than twenty, how could you have follow it for so long?"

Kaisa laughed at James' inquiries—there really was a lot more explaining to do than she had originally thought, "There were five of us. And I'm nearly a hundred years old." James' eyes widened a little, "Our lifespans are a little different than your own.

"Anyhow, I felt as if I'd grown a little attached to you, so I cried. And the tears I spilled on your wound saved you."

James took a moment to think this over, and during that time Kaisa found a seat on a smaller rock, hidden under the water, right across from the Navy man. She watched him and waited.

"Does that explain the pain in my scar whenever you're near?" Kaisa gave him a nod.

"I've been meaning to ask how it feels—does it hurt?"

"No, it's more of an irritating itch, if anything." He replied simply, "...why did you bring me here?"

Kaisa gave a small shrug, "It was familiar to me, and one of the closest islands I could recall; I knew you'd be safe here, my sister has said this place is protected by a kind of magic."

"A magic?" Kaisa gave him a simple nod before he continued, "And why is it that can't I leave, exactly?"

"Davy Jones will hunt you—he doesn't take well to sailors who cheat death, even if the cheating wasn't their choice." Kaisa started, and she allowed her tail to subconsciously graze over James' shin a couple of times, causing him to shiver slightly at its delicate touch, "Cheating death means there's an imbalance in the sea, one that Davy Jones must solve. If you're out on the ocean, he can track you anywhere—I can't let him take you."

"Why save me if you knew I'd be hunted?" James didn't mean to sound ungrateful, but he had to understand the situation better, at least to some degree.

"I just… did. I wasn't thinking about it much at the time."

"So, I can never leave Dominica?" There was a hint of pain to James' voice, though he had no idea where he'd possibly go if he could leave.

"Unless you have a means of fighting off Davy Jones." Kaisa replied simply, seeing the defeated expression on the Navy man's face, "May I ask you a question?" James gave her a nod, "Why were you aboard the Dutchman?"

That was a part of his life James wished he could forget all about; but the eager look in Kaisa's eyes willed him to share, "Have you heard of the East India Trading Company?" Kaisa simply shook her head no, "Well, they have a great authority across the seas—they travel from place to place, exchanging goods.

"I supplied them with this authority with… Davy Jones' heart."

At that, Kaisa's eyes grew large, and she swam to James, getting much too close for his comfort (and, in turn, his cheeks and ears reddened at their near contact), " _You_ found his heart?"

"I was led to it by a pirate…" James said smally, practically feeling Kaisa's breath on his skin. However, she seemed completely unphased by their close proximities.

"What happened next?" Her tone was incredibly eager as James grew pink down his neck.

"Well… now they control the seas, and I aided them. I was often sent aboard the Dutchman to make sure Jones continued to follow orders, and to present him with new ones."

Kaisa hadn't moved back from James. In fact, he felt as if she was only getting closer, "That's incredible…"

"I… Kaisa," she raised her eyebrows, "Could I maybe get a bit more space?"

"Oh" She exclaimed, realizing their closeness and the embarrassed expression on his face before backing up a few feet," I forget sometimes that humans have different personal boundaries, having not been around one in so long." She looked a little bashful, and for a few brief moments the two were quiet.

"May I ask something else of you now?" Kaisa gave him a nod, "How often did you… watch me?" He felt uncomfortable with the question, and it seemed the mermaid felt similar.

"Very often, I was with the Dutchman most days."

"So, then, did you see me… die?" Kaisa's eyes dropped and shoulders sagged, giving James his answer.

"Is that something you really want to discuss?"

"I had to know…"

The pair was silent for a few long moments before Kaisa changed the subject, "How did the pirate know where to find Davy Jones' heart?"

James' jaw clenched and eyes narrowed at the mention of Jack Sparrow, "That's a story for another day."

It was as if James had quickly put up some kind of wall, suddenly shutting Kaisa out. Apparently, much of his life was a touchy subject, she was quickly discovering.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, backing up from him more, "Should we leave it at that for today?"

James looked a little surprised, "Leaving already?"

Kaisa shrugged, "You seem as if you don't want to talk anymore."

"There are just a few topics that I'd rather not discuss right now." James sighed as he slumped where he sat.

"Then what _do_ you want to discuss?"

For a few moments, James was silent. He had one idea in mind, but he was certain Kaisa would then hesitate with that discussion. Regardless, it was the one thing he wanted to know more desperately than anything else right now.

"Tell me about that night I should have died." Kaisa's eyes grew large, and she delicately shook her head.

"Why do you want to know about such depressing things?" She questions as memories of what she witnessed that night hurdled back into her mind.

"Because I'm supposed to be dead, and yet here I am." He replied throwing out his arms before turning a determined gaze on the woman, "So, tell me, _what happened_?"

* * *

 **Make sure you leave a review (or message), let me know what you think! Like I said before, hearing back motivates me to work harder! Also, now that we have the mermaids getting more and more involved in the story, make sure to send me any kind of inquiries about them if I don't address something in the chapter. I have _a lot_ of ideas for the mermaid mythology/traits/etc. that will happen eventually, and I never want my readers to be confused by anything I may write.**


	6. Chapter Five

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter! It always motivates me to read what everyone has to say!**

 **So, I think my updates may start being a little more spread out, about a week or so apart for now. I've slowed down a bit in my writing, so I don't want to be posting too much too soon and then end up on a long hiatus.**

 **I really enjoyed writing most of this chapter, so I hope everyone else likes it as well!**

* * *

 _Kaisa and her sisters—as they often were—sat in the bow of the Flying Dutchman, this time with the company of Koleniko. He was telling them more about the Navy's presence aboard the ship, since they had returned with their Admiral the night before. Still, though, he kept a number of secrets from the mermaids, as he (and the rest of the crew) swore to Davy Jones that they would._

 _Currently, they were discussing the Dutchman's newest arrivals—a crew of Chinese pirates, captained by an English woman. Apparently, they were the crew of the legendary Sao Feng, whom Jones and his men had killed the night prior. As per usual, the mermaids had a number of questions (about Sao Feng's death and about his replacement captain, primarily), and Koleniko did his best to answer all that he could._

 _As they talked about the crew of the Empress, Kaisa was almost certain she heard the shouts of a man. Curiously, she dropped back into the ocean, turning her gaze in the direction of the Chinese ship being towed behind the Dutchman. Her actions weren't questioned by the group, since Kaisa had a tendency to just drift around the ship on her own if she got tired of sitting around._

 _After further inspection, Kaisa could see men shimmying down the ropes between the two ships, and her eyes widened in interest. It wasn't her place to interfere with the pirates, but her curiosity got the better of her, and Kaisa quickly swam to the stern of the ship._

 _"Part of the crew, part of the ship!" A voice was chanting as Kaisa looked around frantically, wanting to get a better view of the action. So, she gave it her everything and began to climb up the side of the ship._

 _"Steady, man!" Another voice called over the first, just as Kaisa got her arms snaked around the rails. She watched wide eyed as Bootstrap Bill confronted the Navy Admiral, who, apparently, was aiding in the escape of the foreign pirate crew._

 _"All hands! Prisoners escaping!"_

 _It all happened very quickly. The Navy man had his gun, the female pirate captain was shouting, Bootstrap Bill was moving closer._

 _And the Navy man shot the rope, the sound from the gun startling Kaisa as she watched the Chinese crew plummet to the water. She turned back to the two men on the stern just in time to see Bootstrap Bill run his sword through the Navy man's center, causing Kaisa to gasp and nearly lose grip of the rails._

 _Her breathing was jagged in both shock and fear as she watched the Navy man limply fall to his knees, his breathing keeping uneven beat with her own. She could see the light leaving his eyes as a number of crewmen gathered at the stern behind Bootstrap Bill._

 _Kaisa's wide eyed gaze moved from each and every face as they all came to the same shocking realization, muttering, "the Admiral's dead."_

 _Suddenly, Davy Jones was shoving past all his men, and Kaisa made sure to hide herself—he wouldn't be pleased to discover one of the mermaids was witness (as he was the only member of the crew that never took a liking to them). The captain showed a similar look of surprise as his eyes danced between Bootstrap Bill and the Admiral._

 _"To the captain's cabin!" Maccus' voiced called above the others, causing everyone to disperse rapidly._

 _Slowly, Kaisa peeked her head between the rails once more, eyes growing teary at the sight of the Admiral dying mere feet from her (and she'd honestly say she was surprised at how emotional she was becoming over him)._

 _Davy Jones crouched in front of him, "James Norrington… do you fear death?"_

 _Much to Kaisa's surprise, the Admiral used what was left of his energy to stab his sword into Jones' chest, one final show of his confidence and bravery. She could hear the man's struggled breath as he moved, allowing his arm to drop with a heavy thud. Davy Jones looked on in amusement between the sword and its owner—he looked almost ready to laugh at the dying man._

 _"I'll take that as a 'no'." Jones stood and removed the sword as he turned, muttering, "Nice sword." as he walked from the scene of death._

 _For a few long moments, both Kaisa and Bootstrap Bill stared wordlessly at the Admiral._

 _Finally, Kaisa inched along the rails to be closer to the dead man, making her presence known. Bootstrap's brow furrowed at the sight of the mermaid, as she gazed down at the Admiral in sorrow. She reached forward, touching the man's cheek to feel his skin growing cold. At the contact, Kaisa looked toward Bootstrap Bill, mournful eyes speaking a million words as she'd try to think of any to say out loud._

 _"Why…?" Her voice was small and weak. She looked toward the man again, hand resting over his heart, almost not feeling the incredibly faint beat._

 _"Part of the crew…" Bootstrap started to mutter, but Kaisa didn't hear the rest. The crewman paid her very little mind as he began to lift the Admiral up carelessly. Kaisa's eyes widened, knowing the man would be tossed overboard, and that would completely end him._

 _"Wait!" She yelled to get Bootstrap Bill's attention. He simply looked down at her, his eyes looking cold and empty. Kaisa opened her mouth, trying to think of what to say next, "Let me take him."_

 _Bootstrap Bill stared at her for a few moments longer, before releasing his hold on the Admiral, allowing the man's body to become dead weight on the ground. As the pirate turned to walk away, Kaisa pulled herself over the rail, dropping down beside the near dead Navy man. Her mind was racing as she realized what she had to do._

 _As she felt a few tears begin to fall from her hazel eyes, she wrenched the sword from the Admiral's abdomen, tossing it aside carelessly. She wiped at some of the tears and then set her hands over his wound while continuing to allow more tears to fall over him. She was hoping—no, she was_ praying _this would work. She couldn't let him go._

 _For the next couple minutes, Kaisa waited, eyes never leaving the Navy man; she was looking for any kind of sign that he'd make it through this (of course, she logically knew it would work, but she was much too emotionally distraught to be logical)._

 _Finally, she saw the hole in his chest slowly but surely begin to close up. His breathing was still slight, but she knew he'd make it. Still, though, Kaisa waited until she could see more improvement in the wound before she tried moving him._

 _Now, the challenge was to get him off the ship without harming him further. Kaisa hadn't thought this through. She began to look around herself, trying to find anything useful; that's when she spotted a line of rope some ten or so feet from her, and quickly Kaisa dragged herself toward it, checking ahead of her to make sure no crewmen took notice of her. She knew she'd have to work faster, or else she'd be caught._

 _Back at the Admiral's side, she tied one end of the rope around her hips, then tied the other around his; she glanced out toward the water to see if the Chinese pirate crew were still there. She could see, in the distance, the last of them ascending back onto their own ship, before she then climbed to sit atop the rail, lifting the Navy man up and over. Once she let him hang over the edge, his full weight pulled her down, taking Kaisa by surprise—it had been so long since she had carried the full weight of a man, after all. Slowly and steadily, Kaisa began the descend back down to the ocean, carefully finding good grips so that she wouldn't drop the Navy man._

 _About halfway down, though, her fingers slipped, nearly dropping both of them into the water. Kaisa managed to find her grip again, but she could feel the strain of the man's weight pulling the rope apart slowly._

 _Above her, Kaisa could hear yelling aboard the Flying Dutchman, probably the other Navy men fighting with Davy Jones, she'd assume. And then she heard footsteps up on the stern, scurrying around quickly._

 _"They threw the Admiral overboard?" A voice called out in surprise, before a different Navy man was suddenly looking over the edge, right down at Kaisa. His face looked flabbergasted at the sight of a woman disappearing with the 'dead' body of his Admiral,, "Oui, you!"_

 _With wide eyes, Kaisa released her grip without a thought, dropping both herself and the Admiral into the ocean heavily. Immediately, his dead weight started to pull her downward, but Kaisa dove after him, going to work at untying the rope around the Navy man's waist as they continued to sink down. After only a little struggle, she had the knot undone. For only a moment, Kaisa released him to untie the rope from herself as quickly as possible. Once that was done, she dove further down to grab him and bring him back to the surface._

 _As the two broke through the water's surface, Kaisa looked back up to Davy Jones' ship. He'd know soon what she had done, if that other Navy man were to say anything about it._

 _She had no time to waste._

 _Kaisa started swimming as fast as she could while pulling the Admiral along with her. Her mind was racing, trying to think of where to take him; somewhere safe and nearby, so as not to give Davy Jones time to detect his whereabouts._

 _She then recalled an island that her sister, Mariza, had mentioned that was near the place of her birth. She claimed an elder wicce lived there, a wicce that no longer practiced her magic, but was nevertheless consistently aware of it. Kaisa thought hard, trying to recall the name of said island. If the Navy man would be safe anywhere, he'd be safe in the presence of a wicce (and it only helped more that she knew this island was also populated, even if scarcely)._

 _Finally, she remembered. She'd bring the Admiral to Dominica._

…

Kaisa's retelling of the night he should have died had James' complete attention—he would have still been completely in the dark without her story, after all. As she shared what occurred, James never let his attention stray, afraid that, at any moment, he may miss something incredibly important. For her part, Kaisa explained slowly to ensure that she told him everything; she knew how significant this was to James, and she couldn't leave anything out.

When Kaisa had finished, James was silent in thought for a long while; he was letting the story sink it. Once he finally came to terms with it, his gaze returned to the mermaid's eyes.

"Who's the witch?" He asked.

Kaisa merely shook her head, "I don't know, I haven't tried to asked Mariza yet—I think if I do she'll become suspicious."

"Why not just come up with a false story?"

"There's no lying to my sisters." Kaisa replied with an amused expression on her face, "They can read me much too easily, it would only concern them more."

James accepted the answer and moved on, "How'd you manage to lift me without snapping yourself in half?" Briefly (and with a slight pink on his cheeks), James glanced down to Kaisa's abdomen, where she claimed to have tied a rope around herself; he was much larger than her, after all.

"Mermaids are quite strong, actually. Not to say I could go and lift a whole ship on my own, but with a large enough group of us we could surely topple one over." James' brow furrowed, nearly amused.

"So, does that make you stronger than me?"

"Perhaps," Kaisa simply shrugged and glanced away, causing James to grin.

"What would your sisters do if they found out about me?" He asked, causing the woman to look back at him.

"You're still full of a lot of questions." She quirked an amused eyebrow.

"In answering my previous questions, you have opened the door to new ones." James replied.

"And I still have yet to ask any of my questions." James sighed, still eager to learn more, "Don't make me wait any longer for them."

"Fine, then it's your turn." James reached for the pouch he had brought with him, pulling out a few slices of sourdough bread to snack on. He offered some out to Kaisa, who looked at them curiously, "Please tell me you've had _bread_ before."

She shook her head innocently, "I haven't had many chances to try the kinds of food you eat."

"Well, then now's your first." More insistently, James handed a slice to her. Kaisa eyed it for a few moments curiously, "What are your questions?"

As Kaisa chewed her first bite of the bread, she looked up to James' eyes, "Why did that trading company want Jones' heart?"

"If they controlled him, they controlled the sea—all the trade, all the pirates, everything."

"Not quite everything." Kaisa said in amusement, speaking of herself, "Surely they didn't think Jones was the only magic they could find in the ocean."

"They would have found a way to control you, as well, with a little time." James replied, face becoming slightly solemn, "You have no idea what they're capable of."

"I'd like to see them _try_." Kaisa said defiantly, causing James' to smile briefly, "Don't think I'm joking—there's more under the depths of the ocean than you or they can imagine."

James nodded, accepting her claim, "After meeting you, I don't doubt it."

Kaisa grinned in return as she shared her next inquiry, "What about those Chinese pirates? The ones on the Dutchman that night." She could see James' eyes become serious as his lips tightened together for a few moments, "Why did you aid them in an escape?"

James hesitated to answer. He wasn't ready to talk about any of them, particularly Elizabeth. He wanted to shoot down her questions once more, but he felt that she'd be persistent in asking until she got her answer.

"Their captain was… an old friend, you could say." He avoided Kaisa's gaze as he spoke, "It's complicated. I should have never put my faith in the East India Trading Company. They're intent on ridding the ocean of pirates sounded noble, at the time, but I learned they weren't just trying to save their trade and alliances. They were aiming to control all of the sea. Probably all of the world, too, if they were given the chance."

James fell silent for a few moments. He'd been off the grid for an entire week now—for all he knew, they _could_ have succeeded already. He was certain almost nothing could actually stop them.

"But that doesn't explain the Chinese pirates." Kaisa spoke up, getting James' attention back.

"The men of the company saw them as a particular nuisance, and wanted Jones to take care of it. But, as I said, their new captain was a friend for many years, and I couldn't let her be killed. Seeing her imprisoned aboard the Dutchman was the final straw in my allegiance to the East India Trading Company."

There was so much more he could have said, James knew, but it was more that he wasn't yet willing to share. Kaisa could also see that there was more to the story, and a part of her wanted to push him, wanted to pry more out of him. However, James was stubborn enough, she was learning, not to share until he was ready.

"So, in defiance you set them free." It was more a statement than a questions, but James still nodded in confirmation, "How were you a friend with a pirate?"

"She _was not_ a pirate!" James glared at the mermaid.

She certainly wasn't taking well to being so suddenly shouted at, and glared right back at him, "Oh, really? Then, pray tell, how could she have _possibly_ been the _captain_ of a _pirate_ crew?"

James refused to grace her with an answer, though he now seized his glares; he knew it was true, though he couldn't admit it. True that Elizabeth had adopted the pirate life. She had adopted it long ago, and yet he was still in denial. To James, she was still—in some regards—the young woman she had been just before he was made Commodore. Spirited and sharp and every bit a lady. He couldn't help, these last few years, to hope that maybe she'd realize her mistake. She'd realize that she didn't love Turner, that she missed her old life, that pirates were complete scoundrels.

Of course, James knew this would never happen. He knew that she was with the man of her dreams, and was living the life she had only dreamed of. But it couldn't hurt to still hold onto that last flicker of hope.

Now, it didn't matter, though. Elizabeth thought him to be dead. Even if she didn't think so, it wouldn't change anything. As he had told her, their destinies were never joined. His current predicament was proof of that.

Kaisa had let James have a minute of silence, as she could see a thought was troubling him. All she had wanted was to ask more and more, but he wouldn't share. Especially not now. So, she waited, gave him time to think before even considering to ask more of him again.

Finally, James' eyes returned to her own, "I should return."

Kaisa's gaze became disappointed, "But—"

"Please," James was already on his feet and collecting his things. He began to walk off, but Kaisa followed the river behind him.

"You don't have to keep letting your thoughts bother you—share them."

"I hardly know you." James replied without looking back, walking briskly.

"You think you can't trust me?" Kaisa nearly scoffed, "I saved your _life_."

"Oh, don't pull that card." James rolled his eyes, "That doesn't change the fact that I've only just met you."

" _James_." Kaisa said obstinately, but he only continued the trek back home. Kaisa sighed and shook her head as she watched him go, "Men…" she muttered, waiting a few moments before continuing to follow behind at a slower pace.

James hadn't meant to be so stubborn. He realized as he walked back to Señora Rojas' house just how foolish he acted with Kaisa. He was embarrassed with himself for it. But he had become so suddenly overwhelmed, that he couldn't stop himself from acting out.

By the time he made it back to the warm sand of the beach, James accepted that he was behaving poorly, and waited. After all, he still liked to consider himself a gentleman, and he wanted to apologize.

A few minutes later, he saw the mermaid swimming down the river toward him, though he nearly missed her since she swam below the surface. So, to get her attention, he stepped into the cool water, waiting.

Kaisa was honestly surprised to see James' legs in the water—she half expected him to leave and avoid her for the next few days. So, she swam to the surface to face him.

"There's probably salt water mixed in there." She said simply, amused as she saw James quickly scurry from the river. She waited a few moments before speaking again, "I thought you were avoiding me."

"I was being foolish." James answered simply. He looked up the beach, spotting a few people in the distance near the port, and briefly wondered if they would be curious about the pair. But, he reasoned, they were probably too busy to notice that James wasn't alone.

He turned his attention back to Kaisa, "I let myself becoming overwhelmed by my thoughts."

Kaisa shrugged, almost as if it had never happened, "You did nearly die—I'd say that's reason enough to be a little emotional."

"I'd still like to apologize." The mermaid gave him a soft smile.

"Ever the gentleman." She said simply before casting her eyes toward the direction of the beach town, "If you'd still like to go, you can, though I'd quite like it if you stayed a while longer."

"Only if I get to ask the questions." James replied with an almost smile, to which he received one in return.

"Deal."

* * *

 **Sooo, let me know what you think!**


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